The Akwa Ibom State government has issued seven-day ultimatum to Exxon Mobil to comply with the COVID-19 guidelines or risk closure of its isolation centres.
The chair chairman of the state’s COVID-19 management committee and secretary to the government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, who issued the ultimatum at the weekend said in operating its quarantine centres, the company had not followed laid down protocols of the state government, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the effective running of isolation centres.
“The breaches observed at ExxonMobil’s quarantine centres, in the estimation of the COVID-19 management committee, are capable of endangering the lives of not only the employees of ExxonMobil, but also the lives of Akwa Ibom people,” he said.
He maintained that the state government could not overlook the breaches, as they could jeopardise efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it arrested 121 violators of compulsory use of facemasks in public places in the state.
The command’s spokesman, Mr. Nudam Fredrick said in a statement that the arrest was aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, in line with provisions of the Quarantine and Restriction of Movement Regulations 2020.
He said the arrested offenders would be arraigned in the special courts established in the three senatorial districts to serve as a deterrent to others and urged the people to always use their facemasks in public places, as the command would continue to prosecute violators.
